


For King and Country

by baz_is_a_skeez



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adam is in this too because I am a sucker for the grayskull twins, F/F, Ft Princess Adora and Knight Catra, Protective Catra (She-Ra), sexual content in later chapters but nothing too graphic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:15:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29551983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baz_is_a_skeez/pseuds/baz_is_a_skeez
Summary: A princess and her knight.A girl and her best friend.A kingdom intent on keeping them away from each other.With the promise of war looming and diplomatic duties threatening to tear them apart, Adora and Catra are faced with the impossible task of choosing between love and responsibility.As expected, it's far from an easy task.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 59





	For King and Country

**Author's Note:**

> Hi hello I am officially here with my first She Ra fic ever and BOY am I nervous about it
> 
> Essentially what happened is that I've seen several fics and works of art depicting Princess Catra and Knight Adora, but I really wanted to see it the other way around, so I decided to do it myself! What was supposed to be a cute oneshot ended up becoming something much bigger, so...Here we are. I sincerely hope you all like it <3
> 
> (I included Adora's family from the original show but I hope when you read this you don't imagine them looking the way they did in the 80's cartoon, trust me in my head they look much better. I really just wanted to include Adam, who I have decided to turn into a total himbo and I love him for it ok)

Most sensible people with even the slightest eye for aesthetics would have called Castle Grayskull beautiful. 

Huge courtyards filled with soft green grass and brightly colored flowers, pristine white marble walls, and exquisitely designed fountains and statues were abundant in the place. To visit was a privilege, and to live there was to be one of the luckiest people in the kingdom of Etheria.

To the young Princess Adora, however, it was more like a prison than a palace.

In the ten years she’d been alive, she had never been outside the gates of the castle. She hadn’t seen even a fraction of the kingdom she was meant to represent, and hadn’t met a single regular citizen who wasn’t a noble or a servant. 

Then again, only knowing servants wasn’t so bad. Not as long as she knew  _ one servant _ in particular. 

The youngest laundry maid stood in the same secluded corner of the courtyard that Adora found her in every Sunday. In her hand was a small wooden sword made with impressive craftsmanship, almost sharp enough to be dangerous.

Adora couldn’t tear her eyes away as the girl leapt back and forth, slashing the makeshift weapon through the air with speed and precision unseemly of a child her age. 

Most would have simply recognized her as one of the laundry maids, if they even recognized her at all. To Adora, however, she was a constant source of fascination. While every other maid was meek, mild mannered and did everything in their power to remain small and out of sight, this girl -  _ Catra _ \- made no such efforts. She was proud and stubborn, only reluctantly taking orders, and always with a snide comment or a sarcastic roll of her eyes.

Adora was only slightly embarrassed to admit that watching her had become somewhat a part of her daily routine. It hadn’t taken long for her to realize that Catra spent her Sunday afternoons practicing with her sword in the courtyard, and she shortly thereafter made it a habit to simply sit and observe in an entirely ordinary, not at all creepy way.

Adora didn’t have it in her to be ashamed of the fact that she’d memorized Catra’s schedule, and managed to plan her own around it. Besides, it wasn't as of she had anything better to do, what with the strict rules imposed on her by her overbearing parents. 

She sighed and rested her chin in her hands, eyes big and dreamy. She was so distracted and lost in her thoughts, she hardly even noticed several familiar voices calling her name.

“Adora?”

“Hey, Adora.”

_ “Adora!” _

Adora jumped at the sound of Glimmer addressing her.

“Sorry, what?”

Her two best friends and twin brother stood before her with expectant stares. 

“What were you looking at?” Glimmer asked impatiently, her arms crossed over her chest. Adora tore her eyes away from the girl and quickly shook her head, smiling.

“Nothing. Are you all done with your lessons?” 

“Yeah,” Adam answered, “I got out early because my teacher said I was improving so fast.” He shot his hand out to mime an imaginary sword and swiped it through the air, making exaggerated swishing sounds with his breath. “I’m pretty much an expert by now.” 

“ _ Riiight _ ,” Adora said with a skeptical smirk. “Bet I could still beat you at fencing, though.  _ I  _ have the best teacher ever.” She glanced at Catra again, who was still slashing her sword through what she clearly imagined to be quite a formidable opponent. 

Adam looked over, raising a blonde brow.

“You’re still obsessed with the laundry girl?”

“It is not an  _ obsession _ ,” Adora retorted indignantly, “I just like to see her practice. I’m learning while I watch.” 

“ _ Riiight,”  _ Adam mimicked Adora’s earlier tone. “You call watching her stab the air  _ teaching _ ? Yeah, right.”

“As if you could do better,” Adora crossed her arms with a glare. “I bet she could beat you in ten seconds.”

“I bet none of you can beat me at archery,” Bow interjected. “You should have seen me in my lesson today! I hit the mark every time.”

“Those targets are huge,” Glimmer said, rolling her eyes. “ _ My  _ dance instructor told me I’m progressing faster than every other one of her students.”

Adora smiled as her friends enthusiastically chatted about their days. She was happy that they were having fun and doing things they loved, even if she couldn’t say the same about herself.

“What about you, Adora?” Bow inquired, “What did you do?”

The excitement Adora felt for her friends dissipated, replaced with a heavy disappointment.

“I...embroidered.” It came out in a downtrodden sigh. “Again. For the fifth day in a row.” 

Her friends shared an uncomfortable look between them, and Adora couldn’t stand to see the thinly veiled pity in their expressions.

“Well...I’m sure you’re getting really good with a needle!” Glimmer said, trying to sound encouraging. “That’ll come in handy if you ever need to fight horde soldiers, right?” 

“Yeah. I’m sure a tiny needle will be super useful against a warrior with a sword.” Adora groaned as her head fell in her hands. “They could at least let me practice horseback riding. I’m good with horses! But my parents said it would be too dangerous if I fell. I can’t even  _ dance  _ because they’re worried I’ll ‘ _ overexert myself’.”  _

“They just want you to be safe,” Bow said sympathetically, “Nobody wants a repeat of what happened last year, you know...”

“I know, I know,” she huffed, “It feels like I can’t go a single day without people bringing up my stupid _heart_. No one around here thinks I can do anything!” 

“Don’t feel too bad,” Adam said, “It doesn’t make  _ that  _ much of a difference. Even if you were in perfect health, you still wouldn’t stand a chance against me in anything _but_ embroidery.” 

Adora glared, sticking her tongue out at him.

“I’m not so weak that I can’t beat you at kickball,” she shot back.

“Oh yeah?” He leered, tossing the ball he'd brought over with him from one hand to the other, “Wanna put that claim to the test?”

Adora met his eyes with a challenging grin. “Oh, it is  _ so  _ on.”

She jumped up and chased him into the middle of the grassy courtyard, laughing happily. 

She got tired out much more quickly than her friends, but she never let that stop her. She knew that they intentionally kicked the ball more lightly towards her than to each other, and ran slower when they chased her. Still, she loved to move and play and run, to feel free in whatever limited ways she could, even if it was never long before she wore herself out and had to rest. 

It had only been a few minutes, however, when Bow suddenly went still, his eyes fixed on something behind Adora.

“Hey, guys?” He said nervously, “Maybe we should, uh, relocate.”

Adora turned her head, grimacing when she saw the cause of Bow’s anxiety. Ms. Weaver had appeared, seemingly out of the shadows as she so frequently did, her flowing robes and ominous mask as intimidating as always. Nobody knew why she wore the mask - some said her face was horribly scarred, some that she was deformed, and some simply believed she wore it for no reason other than to frighten the children. If that was the case, it certainly had the desired effect. 

She stalked over to Catra, who was still distracted by the makeshift weapon in her hand. 

“Catra,” she snapped, making the girl jump and nearly drop her sword. She turned and went rigid, her back straight as a rod.

“Yes, Mrs. Weaver?” 

“What in god’s name do you think you’re doing?” Ms. Weaver hissed, “I ordered you to maintain the yard, and what do I find? You’re wasting your time  _ and _ mine with foolish games.” She snatched the sword out of Catra’s hand, scoffing.

“Where did you even find such a thing?” She demanded.

“I made it,” Catra answered, clearly trying to hide the fear in her voice. 

“Do you mean to tell me,” Ms. Weaver began threateningly, “That you spent time that could have been used doing something of worth, making useless toys?”

“I didn’t have any chores to do when I made it,” Catra snapped, “I’m allowed to do whatever I want in my free time!” Almost immediately, Adora could see the regret in her eyes after the words left her mouth. 

“I suppose you’re right,” Ms. Weaver said in a voice that had suddenly turned chillingly kind. The change in tone only seemed to put Catra more on edge.

“You  _ are  _ permitted to do what you please in your spare time. However, as your caretaker, it’s my job to ensure that nothing takes you away from your work, and to eliminate any...distractions.”

With astonishing ease, she snapped the piece of wood in half in one try. 

“Hey!” Catra shouted, tears of anger brimming in her eyes. “I worked hard on that! You can’t just—”

“ _ Silence _ !” Ms. Weaver shouted, lifting her hand with every intention of striking her down. Her hand nearly made contact with Catra’s face before—

_ “Stop!” _

Mrs Weaver stopped abruptly, caught off guard by Adora, who was suddenly positioned in front of Catra with her arms outstretched defensively. 

“Leave her alone,” she commanded.

“Princess,” Ms. Weaver began, her tone instantly shifting from cruel to sickeningly sweet. “I was simply teaching this poorly behaved servant a lesson. You shouldn’t involve yourself in such trivial matters.”

Adora lowered her arms, placing her hands on her hips defiantly.

“I can involve myself in any matters I want. Now  _ leave Catra alone. _ ”

For someone so tiny, there was a commanding edge in her tone that left no room for argument. Ms. Weaver grudgingly bowed and backed away, no doubt scowling behind her mask. 

Adora let out an exasperated sigh before turning to Catra with a concerned frown.

“Are you alright?”

“How did you know that?” Catra demanded, dodging the question.

“Huh?”

“You said my name," She replied curtly as she picked up the pieces of her sword. "How did you know it?” 

“Oh! That. Well, the thing is, I, uh…” Adora faltered. How exactly was she supposed to explain that she had secretly been watching her every day since she came to the palace? Or that she had been waiting anxiously for an opportunity to speak to her? Or that —

“Hey, princess? You gonna finish that sentence?” 

“Yes!” Adora squeaked. “I mean, uh yes. I know your name because...As the princess, it’s my job to know the names of every servant.” She lifted her chin, as if appearing more regal would emphasize her point. 

Catra frowned with a skeptical look that suggested she wasn’t completely buying the excuse, but didn’t care enough to argue. Her silence, however, only made Adora more nervous.

“Uh,” she stammered, “You know, if you don’t want Ms. Weaver to yell at you anymore, you could always come work for me.” 

The look of disdain on Catra’s face made Adora’s stomach drop.

“ _ Work  _ for you? Was getting me out of trouble just an excuse to get a new personal servant? Sorry, I’ll pass.”

“N-no!” Adora exclaimed, panicked. “That’s not what I meant! It’s just that Ms. Weaver would never yell at someone who work— uh, I mean, kept me company. You wouldn’t even be my maid, really, just my...my friend.” Adora’s face was burning, and she could hardly stand to make eye contact with the other girl’s intense gaze. Just when she expected her to turn and storm away, however, she surprised her.

“Fine,” she said dismissively, “I’ll be your... _maid_. But  _ don’t  _ expect me to take orders from you. This is just so I don’t get in trouble with Ms. Weaver.”

Adora nodded enthusiastically.

“Right! So, uh,” she hesitated, realizing that she hadn’t planned past simply getting Catra to agree to be her friend. “That’s...Good! That’s good. I’ll, uh, leave you alone so you can keep practicing.”

Catra stared at her with that skeptical look again, slightly raising the hand that held the broken sword. Adora nearly smacked her forehead, feeling like a complete idiot.

“Oh! You need a new sword. I can do that for you. I mean,  _ I  _ can’t do it, but I can get someone to do it."

“Don’t bother,” Catra interrupted, holding a hand up. “I don’t trust anyone else to make it right. Just...get me some new wood and a sharp knife, and I can do it myself.”

“Right! Wood and a knife. Got it.” 

Instead of going to get them, however, Adora just stood still, staring at Catra with that tentatively excited, oddly hopeful look plastered on her face. Catra raised an eyebrow.

“Are you gonna get them sometime in the next century, or should I?”

“I will! I’ll get them. Just, uh...wait here. Or don’t. You know what? I’ll find you and bring them to you.” She took one more moment to stare at Catra before hastily raising a hand in farewell. “Bye!”

She silently cursed herself as she ran away for being so awkward in their first meeting, but felt comforted by the knowledge that they would have plenty more meetings in the future. 

First, wood and a knife.

**Author's Note:**

> I also wanted to mention that the idea to give Adora weak health wasn't to turn her into a damsel in distress or anything like that (I promise she won't be!) but to explore the way she navigates the world and handles herself without her physical strength to fall back on, how it influences her self worth, etc. 
> 
> Lastly, there may be a bit of a delay between this chapter and the next as I would like to get more chapters written before I continue to update so I can have a regular update schedule instead of just updating sporadically, so I appreciate your patience!  
> See you next time!


End file.
